Chapter Nineteen
AJ came bounding down the steps about twenty minutes later. Brian was still
seated on the floor, staring into space. "Where is she?" Brian asked.
"Passed out."
"Okay. You stay here, and keep your cellphone free in case Kevin decides to
call. I have to go." Brian stood and went for the door.
"Go? Go where?"
"The police."
"WHAT? You are not taking a step out that door until you tell me what's
going on." Once again AJ took his macho man stance in front of the door.
Brian sighed. AJ could be so overdramatic. "THIS is what's going on."
Brian waved the stack of letters in AJ's face. "Someone has been writing
Lucky threatening letters, and now they are demanding money to keep the whole
Kevin and Lara baby situation quiet. How they even know about it I haven't
figured out yet, but I'm getting to the bottom of this…for her sake AND
Kevin's. You keep an eye on her." Brian shoved AJ out of the way and
hurried out the door.
AJ stared after him. "Keep an eye on her? Why ME?" AJ grumbled, flopping
onto the sofa and turning on the TV. He sighed. He was used to being the
drunken person being taken care of…not the caretaker.
"Okay…thank you." Howie hung up his cellphone and sighed, just imagining how
high the bill would be this month. Calling all over America from a plane
over the Atlantic was not cheap. He HAD to find her…had to make sure she
hadn't done anything drastic…had to make sure she was okay…
"Another drink, sir?" The attractive stewardess smiled at Howie, who shook
his head.
"No, thanks, two is my limit." Howie glared down at the map of the west
coast sitting in his lap. Why in the world were there so many damn beaches
in the United States?
"Going on a trip, Mr. Dorough?" The stewardess asked.
"No…not really…looking for someone." Howie finally smiled back at her. "All
I know is that she likes the beach."
"That IS a tough one." The stewardess thought for a moment. "Where is she
from? Are there beaches there?"
"Um…hold on…" Howie flipped through some paperwork that Jive had
mysteriously procured for him when he asked if they could get background
information on someone else in the business. "She's from the eastern part of
the country."
"Try beaches there. Like, say, Jersey. Most people from Ohio, Pennsylvania
and around there usually end up on the Jersey Shore somewhere," the woman
suggested before moving on.
"Jersey Shore…right…" Howie mused, staring out the window.
"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Kevin asked Nick angrily.
"Man, I'm as clueless as you are. I checked all their rooms and no one was
there, so I called the desk. Howie, AJ and Brian all checked out of the
hotel yesterday morning."
"And you're just finding this out now? Must've been one hell of a binge this
time, Nick." Kevin ran his hands through his hair and moved aside so Nick
could enter his hotel room.
"Yeah, well, you didn't know either, now did you, so shut up!" Nick snapped
back.
"This is all your fault, you loser. Not just the whole situation in general,
but if you'd learn to keep your drunk ass quiet they…"
"They never woulda known? Oh, they woulda figured it out sooner or later,"
Nick interrupted. "You've been moping around for weeks now, missing your
precious Lucky. Why don't you quit being such a chickenshit martyr and get
your ass back to LA?"
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sick of feeling guilty because YOU decided to jump in and play the hero.
You win, Kevin. Like I wasn't already at fault to begin with, you made me
look worse by jumping in there." Nick said with a sigh, flopping onto a
chair. "No matter what, I will be in the wrong, so just go back and tell
her, okay? I DON'T CARE."
"How could you be such a prick, Nicky?" Kevin asked quietly. "I mean, I feel
like I've partially raised you. Have your parents and I taught you nothing?"
"Guess not." Nick stared up at him solemnly. "Look, Kevin, it's been hard
enough for me to live up to your expectations as it is…don't make me feel
like even more of a loser now. Get your ass packed and back to America."
Lisa opened her eyes slowly, trying to ignore the trumpet of elephants that
filled the air. "Elephants? Who took me to the circus?" She mumbled,
trying to slowly sit up. "Oh, fuck." Her head spun and she laid back down.
She heard a snort, and then the elephants were silent.
"Lucky? You up?" A drowsy voice said. She looked over and saw AJ McLean
sleepily smile at her.
"AJ? What the hell…"
"We are here to rescue you and rearrange your life," AJ said cheerfully,
stretching long and hard. "Bri's at the…I mean…he's out, but he should be
back any minute now."
"God…what time is it?" Lisa asked, not even trying to figure out what was
going on.
"Ten at night," he told her.
"Shit." Lisa moaned. They heard the front door slam.
"Up here, Rok!" AJ yelled, and Lisa smacked him.
Brian burst into the room, panting for breath. "We're gonna find him, Lucky.
We're gonna find who did this to you."
"And the baby isn't Kevin's," AJ burst out. Brian glared at him. "What? I
couldn't wait any longer."
Lisa shook her head. "Huh?"
"I found the letters on the floor downstairs, and I was just at the police
station. They're gonna trace them…and find this asshole." Brian said,
smiling broadly at her. Lisa didn't smile.
"Brian, that was my personal mail! You had no right…"
"You're practically related…he had every right. Besides, he cares about you.
We all do," AJ said, smiling at her.
"Related? Um, in case you missed it, I no longer am engaged to his
two-timing cousin," Lisa snapped, finally pulling herself to a sitting
position.
"That's something else we need to discuss with you," Brian said softly.
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By: Lara
© 2000
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Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Twenty